Involvement of hardline separatists in engineering some of the violence in the Kashmir valley is indicated by an intercepted conversation between two of them during which they discussed killing of at least 15 people in a procession near Srinagar on Wednesday.
A large procession had started in Budgam district on the outskirts of Srinagar in the evening and two senior office-bearers of the hardline Hurriyat faction led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani discussed how to utilise it to create casualties, according to the transcript of the conversation available with the Home Ministry.
According to the transcript, one of the office-bearers, Ghulam Ahmed Dar, was heard telling Shabir Ahmed Wani, another office-bearer, that a procession of nearly 20,000 people had started from Magam and was going towards Budgam.
Wani tells Dar, "You guys enjoy payments sitting at home and do nothing."
Dar, in his response, says, "The management of crowd becomes difficult later.....it gets difficult to manage the mob later."
Dar then ends up by saying, "At least 15 people should be martyred today."
However in the event, the police dispersed the procession with a mild cane charge and no untoward incident took place.
Transcript of the conversation:
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: I heard there is a protest march in Budgam.
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: Where?
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: Budgam
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: I believe one small one had. Where will they go right now?
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: No, I have heard that it's a massive one - nearly 30,000
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: 30,000?
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: I swear, 30,000 of them. Protest near the Magam Forest check post. You enjoy your salaries without doing anything for it.
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: You have to understand the reason for it
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: Tell me
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: The crowds get too big to handle at times. Lots of people join in and it's difficult to manage them
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: We want 10-15 more martyred. Did you hear that?
(loud noise apparently of rally)
Hurriyat (G) leader Ghulam Mohd Dar: Did you hear that? That's the rally in Budgam
Local Hurriyat activist, Shabir Ahmed: Ok
